Kiki Tay at the Singapore Maker Faire 2013!

My booth at the Singapore Maker Faire 2013

I had a booth at this year's Singapore Maker Faire. It was an opportunity to show off some of my inventions and creations, I also had the chance to meet many incredible people with the same passion!

The Maker Faire is a two-days event featuring "makers" of all sorts. Held at *SCAPE Warehouse at Orchard, Singapore. The faire showcases incredible stuff that people makes, inspiring a trend of "the maker spirit".

I had so much sentimental memories of this venue. It was home to 3 seasons of "*SCAPE Magic Carnival" A show I produced back in 2011. I have several posts on my blog for *SCAPE Magic Carnival" Here's one of it.

You can't miss my booth when you step into the faire, it's the most "dazzling" booth of all. My booth was a showcase of my passion and obsession with LEDs!

Some of my inventions were on sale during the faire, including my newly launched "World's Smallest Bubble Machine" 

I had problems meeting up with demands for this product. There is still a long waiting list for it. Hopefully by the time you read this post it might be back in stock again. Do check out my product page to find out where you might be able to get one.

Also featured was my "Tiny Handheld Smoke Machine"! Below is a video of it. Read more about it at my blog post here. This item isn't available for sale yet as producing each piece takes a lot of effort.

And of course my "LED Magician v2.0", a simple solution I created to easily create running light sequences for LED projects. Check it out at my blog post here. Or see some of the cool projects submitted by some of my users here.

 LED Magician V2.0 Official Website

I also gave a talk on LEDs & Robotics, where I shared some of the technologies behind some of my creations.

Creating a storm of bubbles with my "World's Smallest Bubble Machine"

Showing off the intricate electronics behind my "Show Robot v4.0". Read about it at my blog post here.

Explaining the technology and workings behind the "LED Magician v2.0"

I had the chance to meet Tony, the "Ironman" of Singapore! Check out his work on his facebook page!

The CEO of the Singapore Science Centre dropped by my booth! I had the chance to show him some of my creations earlier this month during the Maker Faire press conference where I made the "second debut" of my LED Jacket. Read about it from my blog post here.

It was a tiring two full days of standing behind the booth, talking and sharing with many people. But it's all worth it! I had such a fun time at the Maker Faire! Do check out the Singapore Maker Faire website to know more about the faire. I'll definitely be back next year with a whole new lot of stuff! Stay tuned!

With Love,

  - Kiki Tay

Kiki Tay's LED Costume (Part 2)

18th July, I debuted my LED Jacket (again) at the Singapore Science Centre!

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO BELOW!!

This event was part of the Press/Media conference for the upcoming Singapore Science Festival and I was the only one representing the Singapore Mini Maker Faire, happening on the 27th & 28th July 2013. I will be showcasing all my creations in a 7sq meters booth! Do come and support! See some of my creations I'll be showcasing here or visit the Singapore Mini Maker Faire Website!

Doing last minute checks and fixes!

Showing it off to the CEO of the Singapore Science Centre!

Everything ready! Good to go!

 (This is a Facebook "Like" icon that I painstakingly drawn myself, pixel by pixel.. Along with many other effects!)

  

The actual press conference..

Showing it off to the press and media!

If you're curious about this "Robot" that I was controlling, this is a "Show Bot" that I created for use in my show. Find out more about it from my blog post here. Or watch it (early prototype) being used in my show here.

If you're as obsessed with LEDs as I am, or would like to create your own LED costumes or effects, here's a good place to start --> www.LEDmagician.com

The "LED Magician" is a circuit board that I created for newbies or professionals to easily create running light patterns. You simply supply it with a power source and it outputs the same power to 12 channels, with up to 32 selectable sequences and 8 variable speeds! Find out more from my website above, or read more about the creation from my blog post here.

Remember to "Like" my posts and videos!

With love,

   - Kiki Tay

My New LED Jacket!

My New LED Costume!

It's been a long time since I added lights to a new costume. This time I'm going all out!

This was a vision of mine for many years but it is only until recently that I got the time to finally put it into action. I wanted to go beyond just simple LED animation into a full blown networked LED system with video capability! From research to fabrication to mapping and programming, it took almost 100 hours!

A total of 638 RGB LEDs, each with its own microchip that allows it to be individually addressed. The whole setup draws up to 38Amp! Just figuring a way to produce and manage a current so high was a great challenge by itself. Fortunately I developed a method to power the entire unit using just a tiny 3S Lipo (Lithium-Polymer) battery. I managed to design the entire control unit plus power system small enough to fit inside a pocket. After all, who wants to wear a costume that requires you to carry a generator, plug into wall supply or connected to a computer? The mapping and programming itself gives a whole new set of challenge.

While as impressive as it looks, this is still just a prototype and far from being ready. There are still a lot improvements to be done before it can be ready for show.  Look out for new updates coming soon!

With Love,

   -Kiki Tay